Yangzhou Watercraft Chronicle -- Qing Dynasty

Author: Li Dou (Qing Dynasty), edited by Wang Beiping and Tu Yugong
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Features: [The Record of Yangzhou's Painted Boats] is a book written by the author during his residence in Yangzhou, compiled over more than thirty years based on "what he saw with his eyes and heard with his ears." It covers a wide range of topics, including the urban planning of Yangzhou, the evolution of the Grand Canal, crafts, commerce, gardens and historical sites, customs, opera, and anecdotes of scholars. Some records are quite detailed and specific. This provides valuable materials for understanding and researching the socio-economic and cultural conditions of China in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, this book focuses primarily on recording the prosperous aspects of Yangzhou, while omitting the darker side of society hidden beneath this prosperity, such as the exploitation of the laboring people by the feudal ruling class and the hardships of salt industry workers. This is a point that should be noted when reading the book.